كانَ البَياضُ يَروقُني

كانَ البَياضُ يَروقُني

حَتّى رَأَيتُ الشَيبَ مِنّي

حَتّى رَأَيتُ الشَيبَ مِنّي

Whiteness used to delight me,

Whiteness pleased me

until I saw my own gray hair.

Until I saw the gray in me

فَاليَومَ يالَونَ البَيا

فَاليَومَ يالَونَ البَيا

ضِ إِلَيكَ ثُمَّ إِلَيكَ عَنّي

ضِ إِلَيكَ ثُمَّ إِلَيكَ عَنّي

So today, O color of whiteness,

So today the whiteness inclined

begone, then begone from me!

Towards you then towards me about me

فَلَقَد هَجَرتُ بِكَ الصِبا

فَلَقَد هَجَرتُ بِكَ الصِبا

وَنَسيتُهُ حَتّى كَأَنّي

وَنَسيتُهُ حَتّى كَأَنّي

For because of you I have forsaken youth,

So I abandoned youth with you

and forgotten it, till it is as though I...

And forgot it as though I

وَيُقالُ إِنَّكَ قَد كَبِر

وَيُقالُ إِنَّكَ قَد كَبِر

تَ عَنِ الهَوى فَأَقولُ إِنّي

تَ عَنِ الهَوى فَأَقولُ إِنّي

And they say, 'You have grown

And it is said you have grown

too old for love'; I say, 'Indeed I have.'

Beyond passion so I say I

وَأَظَلُّ أَقرَعُ دائِماً

وَأَظَلُّ أَقرَعُ دائِماً

سِنّي إِذا حَقَّقتُ سِنّي

سِنّي إِذا حَقَّقتُ سِنّي

And I forever strike

And I remain bald always

my tooth in regret whenever I reckon my age.

My age when I realize my age

قَد كُنتُ أَحزَنُ لِلفِرا

قَد كُنتُ أَحزَنُ لِلفِرا

قِ وَلِلصُدودِ وَلِلتَجَنّي

قِ وَلِلصُدودِ وَلِلتَجَنّي

Once I would grieve at separation,

I used to grieve separation

and at rejection and at unjust blame,

And distance and being shunned

حَتّى اِنقَضى زَمَنُ الصِبا

حَتّى اِنقَضى زَمَنُ الصِبا

فَخَرجتُ مِن حُزنٍ لِحُزنِ

فَخَرجتُ مِن حُزنٍ لِحُزنِ

until the days of youth had passed;

Until the days of youth passed

so I passed from sorrow into sorrow.

So I came out of sorrow into sorrow

وَلَقَد صَحَوتُ وَتُبتُ عَن

وَلَقَد صَحَوتُ وَتُبتُ عَن

خَمرِ الهَوى وَكَسَرتُ دَنّي

خَمرِ الهَوى وَكَسَرتُ دَنّي

And I have sobered up and repented of

And I indeed woke and repented

the wine of love, and broken my wine jar.

From the wine of passion and broke my vat

وَنَفَضتُ في وَجهِ النَدي

وَنَفَضتُ في وَجهِ النَدي

مِ وَقَد أَتى بِالكَأسِ رُدني

مِ وَقَد أَتى بِالكَأسِ رُدني

And in my drinking companion's face I shook—

And shook off the easy going one in the face

as he came with the cup—my sleeve.

When he brought the cup return me

وَوَقَفتُ في بابِ الكَري

وَوَقَفتُ في بابِ الكَري

مِ عَساهُ يَسمَحُ لي بِإِذنِ

مِ عَساهُ يَسمَحُ لي بِإِذنِ

And I stood at the Generous One's door,

And I stood at the door of the generous one

hoping he might grant me leave to enter.

Maybe he will allow me in out of his grace